Sweet Child of Mine
by The-Shy-Quiet-One
Summary: Lily Potter may be dead, but that doesn't mean she will ever stop watching over the most precious thing in the world to her: her son.
1. October 31, 1981

Disclaimer: The world and characters belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing them.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sweet Child of Mine<span>**

**_31 October, 1981_**

Lily called out, her voice seeming like a strange echoing whisper, muffled almost, though she was crying out with all her might. Were her ears broken? No, that was not quite the case. Looking down she could see the dark red hair of herself, her body, laying still and lifeless among the rubble of what had once been her beloved home. The place she had shared with her husband, James, and her precious little son, Harry. "HARRY! NO! HARRY!" She floated across the rubble, not a ghost, but rather, a visiting spirit. She was on the other side now, but that did not mean she couldn't watch over her son… her beloved son, oh where was he? Had Voldemort finished him off as planned? She did not know, for she had died and gone into limbo, and then, when she had returned quickly to search, to see what was happening, the cottage was destroyed and Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. And then she heard it, clear as a bell, that beloved cry she knew by heart, the one of pain and fear, and yet… it was a cry all the same.

A flash of blue captured her eyes and she hurried towards it, her breath caught in her throat. She let out a strangled mixture of laugh and cry when she got to him. Harry was bawling, his eyes wide with fear, his poor little forehead bleeding. He was covered in dust, rubble all around him, yet, blessedly, not upon him. Sure, there were a few bits of rock on his tummy, but, except for the cut on his forehead, he seemed to be in no dire condition. "Oh Harry, my sweet boy." She reached out a hand, wishing to soothe him, but found she could not touch him. Her heart broke at this, but then, what had she expected? To be able to cuddle and coo him until he stopped crying? To wipe the blood from his face and patch up his cut? No, she could do neither of those things, but she would stay with him, at least until someone came. Surely whatever explosion that had caused this mess would not go unnoticed.

"Lily, oh Merlin, thank god you're alright!" A voice met Lily's ears and she turned her head quickly. There stood her husband, tears rolling down his face as he came towards her. He blinked, seeming quite startled that she had heard him, and then, her shook his head, looking downwards. "So he got you too, then… I thought for a moment…"

"Oh James." Lily rose from where she was beside Harry and ran at him. She wrapped her arms around James's neck, hugging onto him tightly, feeling the wholeness of him in this other world that was their own now, despite the fact that they were visiting their previous one. "But James, Harry's alright! He's alive! He's… He's perfect."

"What? How… how could he be? If you died, and I died, then who could have protected Harry from Voldemort?"

"I don't know, I don't know, but at least he's breathing. He's crying, oh thank Merlin he's crying!"

Little Harry lay there, still bawling and sniffling, completely unaware that his parents were watching him at this very moment. As far as he was concerned, he was completely alone… where was his Mummy to come rescue him from this nightmare as she always did when he was scared? Where was his Dada, with the strong arms that held him close, while his gentle voice spoke words of love in his ears, and to make the horrid pain in his head go away?

"Oh Harry, please don't be frightened." Lily sighed, sitting down on a piece of rock beside her crying child, wishing she could do something, anything, to ease his pain. Tears slide down her face as James joined her, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her close to him. They would stay here together, keeping an eye out for their son. Lily sighed, opening her mouth, an old lullaby flowing out.

_Hush a bye, Harry_

_There is nothing to fear_

_Even in the dark_

_Mummy is here_

_Close your eyes_

_Sleep my sweet dear_

_Daddy will hold you_

_Until the sunlight appears_

Harry's head turned and he quieted slightly, his eyes seeming to search, right in Lily and James's direction. Could he hear her? Was it even possible? Babies were precious… so new and close to the beginning of life… perhaps he could hear her… perhaps there was some strange bond between the beginning of life and the ending that had not quite left Harry's innocent being yet. Perhaps he knew she was there, knew she hadn't really left him, even though he could not see her.

A loud noise interrupted the otherwise fairly silent night air, a familiar rumbling. James and Lily's eyes looked directly up to the sky and they stood, watching as a light appeared, and then a large dark mass, growing larger as it came nearer and nearer. It was so loud that Harry began crying again.

"Finally." James gave a sigh of relief as the huge motorbike landed with a noisey thud on the front lawn, not seeming to care where it stopped, just that it did.

Sirius Black climbed off of his bike, his grey eyes staring around in horror at what had once been the home of his two best mates. "PRONGS! LILY! HARRY!" He ran for the still open front door, dashing past the fallen pram in the hallway and nearly tripped over something. He looked down and cried out as though in physical agony. "Prongs! James! Oh… Merlin… James!" He fell to his knees beside his best friend's body, pulling the other man upwards and hugging his limp body tightly. "My brother… James… oh James… Prongs… oh Merlin, please… please…" He sobbed, rocking back and forth for a few moments before shaking himself. He gently places James's body back down upon the floor and looked upwards, up the stairs covered in rubble.

"Lily? LILY POTTER!" He called, dashing up the stairs, the top of which was thankfully, mercifully clear enough for him to climb over bits of rock to get to the landing of the second floor. "LILY?" He came to a halt outside what had been Harry's bedroom door… it was swinging on its one remaining hinge, bits of wall around it, but, otherwise, the whole top right side off the house was exposed. "Oh god Lily." Sirius stepped over a bit of wall that remained, into the mess of what had been Harry's room. He had spotted the red hair peeking out from under the rubble and approached it slowly, cautiously. "Lily? Lily, oh please, don't be dead, Lily… not you as well…" And yet, when he got there and felt for a pulse on Lily Potter's neck, he could find none.

James and Lily were watching him, waiting for him to hear and find Harry, just a few feet away laying beside what remained of his crib. "Oh Padfoot…" Lily stared at him sadly as she watched him cry over her lifeless form. "If only there was something we could do for him."

"He'll be alright, love. He's strong… and when he finds Harry, he's going to be so happy he won't even remember we're gone."

"Harry…" Sirius whispered, his eyes trailing around through the rubble, as though fearful of what he would see. Lily couldn't blame him for being afraid, who would ever want to find the body of a dead child, especially one they loved so dearly as she knew Sirius loved Harry. He may not be Harry's father, but he had been there from day she had found out she was pregnant, always looking after her when James had to go on a mission, always wanting to help with Harry when he could. He was the best godfather a kid could have asked for.

At his name, Harry's head turned in Sirius's direction and he let out a very loud wail, trying to alert him. He was only fifteen months old… he had words, but crying was still his main way of letting it be known he needed something when he was too overwhelmed to speak. Thankfully, Sirius finally turned in his direction, his eyes widening as he made for where Harry was quickly.

"Harry… oh… Harry…" He stared down at the tiny boy who was lifting his arms to him as though Sirius was his only hope. He bent down quickly, scooping up the child he cared so much about and hugging him tightly to him. He wrapped his leather jacket around Harry, to keep him warm in the chill of the late fall air. "Oh you dear sweet boy. Shh… it's alright… I've got you… you're going to be just fine, Prongslet."

Harry sniffled as Sirius did the classic mommy bounce Lily had shown him. Lily and James watched as their son calmed down in the arms of their best friend, the little boy finally stopping his crying with a hiccup. He nuzzled his little face against the front of Sirius's shirt. "'adoot."

"That's right, Harry. Padfoot. Padfoot loves his Harry." Sirius cooed, kissing the top of the little boy's head. "Aw, did Harry get a booboo?" Harry sniffled again and nodded, reaching a hand up to rub at his bloody forehead. "Well, let's get you out of here and cleaned up then, shall we?"

Sirius carefully worked his way through the rubble and down the stairs again, unaware that Lily and James were following after him. In the yard, a large man was staring up at the cottage as though trying to figure out the best way to go about getting up to the second floor. No doubt he might fall through the floor should he try. He raised a pink umbrella and was about to utter a spell when he caught sight of Sirius.

"Ah! Sirius Black, Dumbledore said ya migh' be here." Hagrid smiled, though gravely.

"Hello Hagrid. Bathilda Bagshot Flooed me, said she'd heard a ruckus coming from down the lane and was right worried about the Potters…"

"Well, looks like she 'ad a righ' to be worried then, didn' she?" Hagrid sighed, looking at the house sadly. "Are they…?"

"James and Lily are gone. But Harry here is just fine, though a bit shaken up, I think." Sirius held motioned to the little boy bundled to his chest, his bright green eyes gleaming just above the zipper of Sirius's leather jacket. He was warm and safe here, the familiar scent of his Padfoot lulling him. He was not scared of the giant man either, for he had met him before on several occasions with his Mummy and Daddy.

"Dumbledore said… but I dun believe it… little Harry survived against You-Know-Who!" Hagrid beamed brightly, waggling a friendly hand at the one year old who gave a giggle and buried himself deeper in Sirius's jacket. "He sent me to get Harry."

"Oh, let me take him, Hagrid. I'm his godfather after all."

"'fraid I can', Sirius. Dumbledore's orders. I'm supposed ter take him ter his aunt and uncle's."

"You can't mean Lily's retched sister?" Sirius made a face. "Harry doesn't even know them!"

"Oh please no…" Lily shook her head, stepping forward. "Hagrid, let Sirius take him. He's the one who's supposed to anyway if anything were to happen to us!" She pleaded, but James put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.

"They can't hear us , love."

"You know Dumbledore, Sirius. He has his reasons."

Sirius sighed, unzipping his jacket and handing Harry over to Hagrid. Hagrid took him with one hand, gently, the little boy fitting quite easily there. "Wait here a moment… he'll need his blanket." Sirius headed back into the house and up into the area of rubble. He dug quickly through where he knew Harry's crib had been and quickly came upon the quilt Lily had made when she'd been pregnant from old bits of robes and clothes, some of which had belonged to Sirius himself. He brought the quilt back down to the yard and took Harry from Hagrid once more, wrapping the little boy up in it snugly, swaddling him the way Lily and James always had.

"You be good for your aunt and uncle, Prongslet. I'll see you again, I promise." He gave the little boy a very tight hug and cuddle, kissing him gently before giving him back to Hagrid. "I love you."

"Well, best be off then." Hagrid stated, holding Harry closer now so as to keep him nice and safe.

"Take my bike, Hagrid. It'll be faster and I won't be needing it."

"His bike?" James looked shocked, turning his head from the motorbike to Sirius and then to Lily. "He loves that damn thing! I remember when he first got it, he slept in the garage with it for the first two weeks!"

"Something is wrong…" Lily nodded, knowing exactly how much Sirius's motorbike meant to him.

"Are yeh sure, Sirius?"

"Yes, take it. Get Harry to where he's safe, as quickly as possible." Sirius nodded, offering up, forcing his keys into Hagrid's hand.

"Alrigh' then." Hagrid nodded and climbed onto the motorbike, his weight sinking it slightly into the ground, but it was so large, it held him just fine. "Off we go then, Harry. Be seein' you, Sirius."

"See you, Hagrid. I love you, Harry."

Harry laughed at him, wriggling slightly in his tightly wrapped quilt. "ub 'adoot."

Hagrid reved the engine, making Harry cry, and then, they were going up into the air. Sirius stood, watching as the motorbike went higher and higher, and then grew smaller… his eyes on the sky until the last glimmer of the headlight was no longer visible.

Lily burst into tears, burying her face against James's chest. Her poor precious son was off to live with her horrid sister of all people! Why had Dumbledore decided this? Why couldn't Sirius take Harry as had been planned? Oh, it was just so awful. She wanted to hold and snuggle her baby close to her, where she knew he was safe. With her sister, she was sure he would not be as loved as he would be if he were with Sirius.

Sirius sank down to his knees, staring at the wreckage of the house. His face hardened and he rose suddenly, drawing his wand. "You're going to pay for what you have done, you dirty lying rat… You're going to pay!" Without another word, he disapparated with a crack.

"Merlin… he's going after Wormy." Lily blinked in shock, looking at the place where Sirius had just been.

"I'd go after him too if I could, the rotten, lying piece of shit. That bloody bastard deserves whatever Sirius gives him, for giving us away."

"But if he was tortured into telling…"

"It's his fault that Harry is going to be raised by that bitch, Lily! It's his fault!" James seethed, kicking his foot at a piece of rubble, but unable to make it move. Lily sighed. Wormtail had been acting funny lately… had he given them away already the last time they had seen him? It had been only just a week or so ago… "If it had been Wormtail in our position instead of us, and I had been his Secret Keeper, I would have died before I betrayed my friend. I would have died."

"James… I hate to break it to you… but we're already dead."

James faltered in his rage, a small smile playing on his lips. He took his hands. "Yes, but at least we're together. Sirius will take care of Wormtail, let's go keep an eye on that boy of our's."

"Yes." Lily nodded in agreement. "Let's always keep an eye on him."

* * *

><p>I had this idea a while back about what Harry's life would look like from his mother's point of veiw. And so, here is begins. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I would love to hear what you thought, I appreciate any and all feedback I'm given, it helps keep me going.<p>

Love always,

S.Q.O.


	2. November 1, 1981

**Sweet Child of Mine**

_ November 1, 1981_

"How dare she!" Lily raged, stomping her feet on the carpeted entryway of her sister and brother-in-law's home. She had never set foot in this house alive, and now here she was, no more than a spirit come to look after her precious baby son. "She had two bloody extra bedrooms upstairs and she puts him in the cupboard like some sort of broom!" Her heart ached as she watched her sister, not much older than herself, latch the door to the cupboard shut to prevent Harry from pushing it open and crawling out again when she was trying to get Dudley down for a nap.

It was just this morning that Harry had arrived on the doorstep of Number Four, Privet Drive, closely looked after by his mother and father all through the remainder of the night. He had slept soundly, his forehead no longer bleeding, a scar the shape of lightening shining bright and new there, unable to ever be completely healed due to it being the result of dark magic. Petunia had opened the door to put out the milk bottles and retrieve the morning paper and instead, been greeted by a sleeping toddler wrapped in a quilt and blue pajamas bearing a letter stating that she now needed to be looking after him. She had read the note and quickly hidden the boy in the cupboard under the stairs, willing him to remain asleep until Vernon had left for work so that she could decide what to do before she broke to news to him.

The letter clearly stated she was to be the guardian of Harry James Potter, to look after him, care for him, and raise him from the age of fifteen months until he grew to be a legal adult, able to provide for himself and live on his own. It also stated, that come his eleventh year it would be expected that he would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry just as his parents, who had been murdered by Lord Voldemort, before him had and would she kindly explain all of this to him as he grew.

Now, Petunia had a lot of pent of hatred for her sister and that freak husband of hers, but, she also had an old kinship with her as well. They had been the best of friends once, when they were younger, had played together and gotten along fairly well until Lily had been swept away to Hogwarts, leaving Petunia by herself and feeling quite abandoned. Perhaps, if she could convince Vernon that they must keep the boy, after all, how would it look to the neighbors if they just shunted him out? Perhaps, if they took care of him in a way unsuited for their own child, they would be able to squash the magic out of him and make him grow into a decent human being. Perhaps, if they made it past his eleventh summer without word from that wretched school, then maybe, just maybe, she would end up with two sons instead of the one.

Harry whimpered as he pressed at the door, standing up and banging at it with his little firsts and crying, wanting to be let out. He had never ever been locked away like this. Mummy and Dada had always been there to free him from his crib and any mishaps he'd gotten into once he'd become mobile.

Lily just about tore her hair out as she sat down by the door, unable to undo the latch and let her crying son free from this hellish nightmare he'd been placed in. What in the world was Dumbledore possibly thinking by sending Harry to live with her sister of all people? She'd always known he was off his rocker, but this was ridiculous. "Shhh baby, it's alright, Muma's here, I'm right here Harry." The pounding quieted and four tiny fingers appeared beneath the door of the cupboard, reaching out.

"Uma, Uma." Harry chanted and Lily's heart soared. It was just like with the lullaby she'd sung him last night. He was still so young… he could hear her. She was almost positive of it.

"That's right, Harry." James smiled and sat down next to Lily.

"Dadadada!" Harry laughed, his fingers disappearing and he seemed to be a bit happier now. "Dada out?" Or not.

"No, Harry. You've got to stay in."

"Dada out!" Harry cried out, beginning to wail and pound at the door again, not liking how he couldn't control what was happening. "OUT OUT OOOOOOUT!"

"What the bloody hell is that?" Vernon Dursley roared from the kitchen as Petunia did up his tie. He turned to look at Dudley who was quite happily munching away at his donuts while the crying continued to come from the hallway.

"It's… " Vernon threw the cupboard door open and jumped in shock as a tiny black haired boy tumbled from the cupboard as though he'd been pressed against the door. Harry blinked in shock and looked up at Vernon hopefully. Upon finding that this was neither his mother or father or Padfoot, he burst into tears, wailing loudly and causing Petunia to come running into the hallway where she scooped him up.

"He was just here this morning. On the doorstep, with a note saying that his parents have been k-killed." Petunia bit her lip, absently rocking Harry who calmed slightly at the motion, the familiarity of it.

"Who in god's name leaves a kid on a stoop?" Vernon asked, eyeing Harry like he might be carrying any sort of disease imaginable. "Find the closest orphanage. He's not staying here."

"He… Vernon, he's our nephew. Harry. L-lily's son."

"All the more reason to be rid of him! I won't have it, I tell you! I won't have that thing in my house with my wife and child. Who knows what sort of… trouble he'll get us into. What if someone finds out? Surely he'll be just like… like _them_." Vernon spat out the last word, looking even purple-faced by the moment.

"Vernon, I would if I could, but I can't. He has to stay here."

"Why the bloody hell…"

"How would it look if the neighbors found out we shunted our own nephew in his time of need?" Petunia asked. "Besides, who says he'll be like them? Maybe we can.. squash it out of him or something."

"Squash…. Squash it out of him!" Lily roared heading towards Petunia with her hands out as though she very much wished she could strangle her sister right then and there and would not have felt the least bit of remorse about it.

"Can… can that happen?" Vernon asked.

"I think so. _She_ mentioned… Squashed ones once or twice."

"Squibs you idiot! I said squib, not squash! You can't squash the magic out of anyone!" James had to hold lily back now as she aimed for her sister, looking ready to do more than just strangle her. How dare Petunia speak about her son that way? How dare she allow Vernon look at him like he was a bug!

"Well then… I suppose… but I'm not having any of it in my house, Petunia. The second he starts showing signs, he is out of here, is that understood?"

"Yes, Vernon." Petunia nodded and Vernon huffed a bit before leaning in to kiss her on her boney cheek.

"Off to work then. Don't let that boy near Dudley for too long. Who knows how that stuff travels."

"Yes, Vernon." Petunia sighed and as soon as the front door had closed behind Vernon, she carried Harry into the kitchen and set him on the floor. Dudley finished off his donut and then held out one hand for more while the other banged against his tray. Petunia gave him another donut, smiling and kissing the top of his head. She then grabbed a plastic bowl from the cupboard, poured some Cheerios into it and set it on the floor in front of Harry. Harry shoved both hands into his cereal, hungry after his long ordeal last night. He brought a handful to his mouth, managing to get one or two pieces into it while the rest fell and scattered all over Petunia's shiney white kitchen floor.

"No Harry!" Petunia scolded him, taking the bowl away. "We don't make messes here." She sighed as his eyes welled with tears. She may hate him for what he was… but he was still her nephew and he was still just a baby. She grabbed up Vernon's newspaper and spread it out on the floor. She moved Harry onto it before she set the bowl back down. There. Now if he made a mess she would at least have an easy time cleaning it up.

Lily's eye twitched from where she was sitting on the floor next to Harry. Newspaper? HOW DARE her sister treat her son like a dog! She could have at least fed the boys one at a time rather than making her precious toddler eat on the floor. A bottle on the floor was one thing, cereal however…

"Alright, Diddy-kins, let mummy wash you up." Petunia wet a cloth in the sink and reached out to wipe off Dudley's face. The little pink beach ball of a boy screamed bloody murder, putting his hands up and kicking out at his mother.

"No no no no no!" His feet banged so hard against the high chair, Lily thought it might fall over. Panic filled her as it tilted, but Petunia quickly grabbed it by the tray, righting it. She held Dudley's hands and got his face cleaned up before setting him free. The boy ran straight for Harry and snatched up the bowl of cheerios, shoving fistful after fistful into his mouth as quickly as he could. Harry's green eyes went wide, and then he began to wail.

"No no, Dudders." Petunia took the bowl from him and set it on the counter. "You've had your breakfast, that's Harry's."

"Mine!" Dudley screamed, kicking his mother and running to the counter. He reached for the bowl but could not quite grab it. "Mummy, hungry!" He flopped down on the floor and burst into tears, reaching upwards for the bowl. Petunia took it and gave it to him, much to Lily's astonishment. Harry crawled over and reached to grab some cheerios from the bowl, but Dudley lashed out, hitting him hard on the top of the head with the bowl, sending cheerios flying everywhere, and causing Harry to burst into tears again.

"Oh for god's sake, would you stop that?" Petunia picked Harry up off of the floor and set him down in the high chair who's tray was still covered in bits of slobbery donut. She grabbed another bowl from the cupboard and poured more cereal into it. She set it in front of Harry who stopped crying, whimpered a bit, and then began eating.

Dudley, having managed to cram the cereal that had actually stayed in the bowl, into his mouth, threw the bowl away from himself. He laughed, listening to it clatter. Petunia sighed and went after it, picking it up and dropping it into the sink before she went to the small cupboard in the corner to retrieve the broom.

Lily's eyes widened as Dudley spotted Harry, sitting up in HIS seat, eating from one of HIS bowls. He got up onto his chubby feet and walked to the high chair. He reached up, trying to grab the bowl, but Harry, seeing him, grabbed hold of it and pulled it closer. Dudley, now full of two year old rage, grabbed hold of one of the highchair's legs and began pushing at it. It teetered… Lily's breath caught in her throat.

"Harry!" James almost yelped, shooting forward as the highchair lost it's balance. Harry screamed, and as the high chair clattered to the floor and James's arms went straight through Harry, unable to hold him, the fifteen month old did not fall. Instead, he hung in midair, a foot from the ground. His magic had kicked in as the chair had fallen and he'd been shot out of it, not buckled in. Petunia turned around.

"Harry!" She screeched and Harry, shocked, fell, landing safely on his diapered bottom. He bounced a tiny bit and then burst into tears, reaching his arms up in James's direction, having heard his shout.

"Dada! Dada!" He wailed, standing up and looking around through his tears. He ran out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Dada! 'Uma! Dada! 'Uma!" He cried, trying his very hardest to find them. Where were his mummy and daddy?

"Harry." Petunia sighed, leaning against the doorjamb between the living room and kitchen, looking down at the completely distraught toddler… and those eyes… so startlingly green and almond shaped like her sister's... For a moment, Petunia could almost picture her sister, a small child, her red hair a mess, and those eyes, staring up at her big sister pleadingly as she had when she wanted to play. He heart sank as the red hair changed to black… but those eyes… they were the same. Pleading, a little bit of Lily still here. An ache filled Petunia, knowing, with absolute certainty, that her sister was dead. Not just gone where they could exchange Christmas cards because they felt like they had to, but really, truly, gone forever. "Harry, come here."

Harry turned around, sniffling and staring up at his aunt. His little lower lip quivered and he cried harder, holding his arms out to her, begging for affection. Petunia lifted him up and held his head against her shoulder as she did with Dudley whenever he was in a right state. She shushed him and sat down in the rocking chair that had been moved from Dudley's room to the living room when Dudley had grown into a non-cuddley stage. She rocked back and forth gently, rubbing Harry's back gently until his sobs began to calm.

Lily watched her sister, sitting down on the couch, astounded with the other woman's ability to sooth her poor baby's heartache when she couldn't even touch him. She crossed her arms over her chest and moved from the couch, where James had joined her, to sit down in front of the rocking chair. "Oh Tuney." She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest, staring up at her sister and son.

"You know, Harry. You have your mother's eyes… I was always jealous of her eyes, and she knew it." Lily cracked a bit of a smile, glad to see Petunia treating her son a bit better now. Maybe this would be alright after all. "So bright and green, like our father's. Everyone loved Lily's eyes. And you, you lucky little boy, have been blessed with them. Maybe, if we're lucky, you can be a normal little boy like your cousin, how about that? None of that... abnormal stuff and you can be my second little boy? Vernon won't condone more than one child, he says Dudley's enough. But perhaps, he won't be able to say no to one already here, hmm?"

"Hmmmm." Harry nodded, grabbing at her hair, feeling better now that he was getting some proper attention. "Uma?" He asked, looking around.

"No. No mummy here. Just Aunt Petunia."

"Aun Tuna?" Lily snorted, knowing how much Petunia didn't like being called 'tuna' by anyone. She had only ever condoned Lily to call her 'Tuney' and, as she'd said back then, that had been bad enough.

"Aunt Petunia." She corrected him.

"Aun Tuna." Harry nodded, grinning up at her with teeth like tiny pearls. Petunia sighed and smiled back.

The moment did not last, however. Dudley, having cleaned the cereal out of Harry's bowl, toddled into the living room looking for his mother. Upon sighting her with this other child, this intruder in his home who had taken both his chair, his bowl, and his cereal, Dudley went into another rage. How dare his mother pay attention to this other baby when he, her ickle Diddykins, was bored?

"MUMMY!" He screamed, running over to the rocking chair. He grabbed hold of the armrest and tried to shake it with all his might. "MY MUMMY!" He reached out a hand and whacked Harry who burst into tears and reached a hand out, hitting Dudley back with all the might he could muster, apparently done with being hit. Dudley stood there in shock for a moment, his blue eyes wide and brimming with tears until he fell to his bottom and burst out wailing.

"Harry!" Petunia, upon seeing her own precious angel upset, set Harry unceremoniously on the floor, shaking a finger at him. "You do NOT hit Dudley! Bad boy!" She scooped Dudley up in her arms, coddling and kissing him as she stood up and carried him into the kitchen where there was better light so that she could check him over and make sure he hadn't bruised.

Harry sat there, crying but slightly awestruck at the sudden change of events. He had finally been getting some good attention and now this. He cried harder… his leg hurt where Dudley had hit him. He forced himself forward, lying face down on the floor, crying loudly. He kicked his feet a bit, upset at the world. Where was his Mummy? Where was his Daddy? He wailed louder, sitting up, his eyes squeezed shut. Lily opened her mouth to shush him, but she was too late.

The glass in the windows and in the photo frames all over the living room shattered, bursting and sending glass clattering to the carpet, not hitting Harry who sat in the middle of it all, his little lungs using all the capacity they had to send air out of his mouth with as much noise as was humanly possible for a fifteen month old.

Petunia came running, holding Dudley, into the living room. Her eyes widened, staring around at the great mess of glass everywhere and the fact that the wind was blowing in through the windows, a chilly autumn air filling the room. Petunia scooped Harry up from the floor, placing him on her hip opposite Dudley and carrying him into the hallway. "That was a very, very naughty thing to do, Harry! What did I tell you about that? NO magic!" She opened the cupboard under the stairs and placed Harry down inside, slamming the door behind herself and locking it shut so he couldn't push it open. Harry cried, banging on the door.

Petunia sighed, turning around and peering into the living room. This was going to take a lot of vacuuming, but she was dreading, even more, having to explain the smashed windows to Vernon. He was not going to be happy about having to replace all that glass.

Lily sighed, flopping down outside the cupboard, wishing she could get inside and hold her baby. She blinked, realizing… maybe… She looked at James who nodded. She closed her eyes, concentrating and then, her hand went through the door. She smiled, pressing the rest of herself through it. James quickly followed after her, both of them glad that they could sit in the cupboard with their son rather than him having to be there alone. "Shhh, Harry. It's alright. I'm here…"

"Uma?" Harry looked around in the dark cupboard, groping his hands, reaching to try and find her.

"Yes, Harry. Now lay down sweetheart and mummy'll sing you a nice song." James said, reaching out and willing his hand to touch his son. But it didn't, so he just hovered it over the little boy's tummy as Harry actually did as he was told, which was unusual at such a young age. And so, Lily began to sing again, the same old lullaby, wondering exactly how her son was going to manage living in this house.

* * *

><p>Hey! I hope you enjoyed the second installment! I'm sorry it took so long to write, life is busy lately. I'm hoping to have more time soon though. Anyway, let me know what you thought and if you think I should continue.<p>

Love always,

S.Q.O.


	3. August 12 24, 1982

**Sweet Child of Mine**

_August 12, 1982_

"No Dudley! You have to use the potty like a big boy." Petunia was practically in tears, fighting with Dudley whom Vernon had said was much too old to still be wearing nappies and why hadn't Petunia toilet trained him yet?

"NO!" Dudley yelled, kicking over the little blue potty his mother had gotten him a few days ago. He ran out of the room, completely naked except for the nappie that crinkled around his legs as he ran. Petunia sighed. Dudley had been two since May and she hadn't started earlier. She supposed she'd just been so busy, looking after him and Harry, that it had slipped her mind. Sighing, she slid down to the floor from where she was seated on the edge of the tub. She placed her face in her hands, undeniably stressed out. Dudley refused to use the potty no matter how many times she'd tried to get him to go.

Harry came tottering into the bathroom, his own diaper making a crinkley noise beneath the red footed pajamas he wore. They were too big on him, Dudley being rounder in the middle, but he was clothed at least. Vernon had said he saw no reason in purchasing clothes for a child he didn't even want in the house when they had perfectly good clothes left that did not fit their own son any longer, who cared if they were too large?

"Aun Tuna?" Harry frowned, wandering over and poking one small finger against Petunia's hand. "Sad."

Petunia sighed, taking her hands from her face and gazing at this child who had lived in her house for about ten months now. He had just turned two, a few months after Dudley. They had had a nice party for Dudley, but Harry hadn't even gotten so much as a cupcake for his. Vernon had thought it would spoil the boy to be treated as though he were even a little bit equal to Dudley.

"No, Harry. Frustrated." Petunia corrected him, shaking her head. She sighed, staring at that little face with those eyes that so resembled her sister's. Harry was like Lily in a lot of ways as well, despite looking almost every bit like his father. He loved treacle pie. He preferred red to blue. And he always seemed to mix his corn into his mashed potatoes. These were things that James had had to point out to Lily, knowing she wouldn't notice them since they were so much like herself.

At the moment, Lily peered in through the bathroom door, having wondered where Harry had gone. He seemed to follow Petunia around like a little lost puppy on more than one occasion a day, looking quite lonesome until he found her. Petunia had a harder time being mean to him when Vernon wasn't around. Harry was still just a toddler after all, not the least bit old enough to quite know right from wrong in certain situations.

And every day, as her little boy grew bigger and bigger, Lily was there, watching over him. He could no longer hear her or James though, which made her sad. She couldn't quite pinpoint the day when she'd started having to raise her voice just a little louder to get him to hear her. At first, she'd thought he was just ignoring them, but then, as time went on, her voice got louder and louder, until she could scream as loud as possible, but he did not hear her. It was then, when Harry was exactly twenty months old, that she knew he no longer had that special connection of babyhood to the world beyond.

James stayed as well, trailing after his wife and child, sadly watching the way of which Harry was treated, especially when Vernon was home. The amount of times he wished he was solid enough to punch that man to a bloody pulp could no longer be counted. Calling his son 'boy' and forcing the issue of sending him away to an orphanage only to have it shot down again and again. That was one place where Petunia seemed to stand her ground for Harry. She would not send him away. She would keep him.

"Fusated?" Harry frowned, not knowing what that word meant. He had been watching every day now, as Petunia tried to get Dudley to sit on the potty and go pee-pee in it. He had found it all very interesting and had been wondering when perhaps, he'd get his turn to try the potty. Harry looked from his aunt to the small blue potty, still over turned on the floor. "Harry do?" He pushed the potty upright. "Harry do, Aun Tuna?"

"I suppose." Aunt Petunia nodded with a sigh. Maybe if Dudley saw Harry on the potty, he'd get jealous enough to want to be the one to do it. That was how it normally was when Harry did something Dudley had not wanted to do in the first place. Drinking from a sippy cup instead of a bottle, eating his peas, things like that.

Petunia helped Harry unzip his pajamas and take down his currently clean diaper. "Now, you sit here to pee-pee, like a big boy." Harry sat down on the potty as Petunia indicated and stared up at her, as though waiting for further instruction, but she had gone to the door. "Dudley, come see Harry! He's using the potty like a big boy."

Dudley came running. Any indication that Harry was doing something he wasn't that he might want to be doing peaked his interest. He looked at Harry sitting on the potty. "Dat's my potty! Mummy, why he on my potty? Get off, Harry! My turn!"

At that moment, before Petunia could get Dudley's diaper down to help him sit on the potty, the sound of liquid hitting plastic filled the bathroom and Harry's whole face lit up with pride. He stood up and pointed down at the potty, jumping up and down. "Aun Tuna! Harry do it! Harry pee-pee in da potty."

Lily beamed, clapping her hands as James whooped his approval. Their son, barely two, had just learned how to use the potty properly. Now if only Petunia kept up with it.

"See, Dudley? See? Harry can do it." Petunia said, pointing to Harry, not even stopping to praise his good job. "Harry's a big boy who uses the potty. You're a big boy too, right? You can use the potty too?"

Dudley seemed to ponder this over for a second, and then he marched over to the potty, pushed Harry out of the way and sat down. He stared up at his mother.

"Oh, good boy Dudley! That's the way to do it, now you just pee-pee."

Dudley sat there, waiting, and Petunia sat there, on the edge of the tub, also waiting. Harry, diaper less, had been placed in the tub to keep him out of trouble while Dudley did his business. There was no water in the tub, but there were a few toys, and that kept Harry entertained fairly well enough. He hardly ever got the toys during bath time because Dudley refused to share them. Petunia knew Dudley couldn't catch magic from Harry just by being around him, it didn't work like that. And it was easier putting them together to do things as opposed to trying to keep an eye on them separately. She didn't want the house in ruins after all.

It took Dudley twenty minutes to finally relax enough to go potty. He grinned up at his mother when he did. "Dudley do it, Mummy!"

"Oh! Good job, Dudley! That's my wonderful big boy! Mummy is so proud of you! I'm going to get you a lollipop." Petunia scooped him up, hugging him tightly and kissing the top of his head like he was the most fantastic thing on the planet, and, to her, he was. He was her baby after all. What could be more perfect than him?

….

"Diddykins, tell Daddy what you did today." Petunia smiled when Vernon came home from work. She'd dressed both boys, but had kept a close eye on Dudley for any indication that he might have to go back upstairs to the potty. She'd caught him twice, but had only been successful in getting him there in time once. Harry had followed after them, the excitement of the potty being too much to ignore. He'd used it after Dudley, waiting to also receive a lolli for doing so, but not getting on. But that was the way it worked. Dudley got everything Harry could have possibly wanted whilst Harry was left with what Dudley did not want.

"Dudley pee-peed in da potty, Daddy." Dudley beamed, reaching his arms out to his father, wanting him after having not seen him all day.

"That's my boy!" Vernon took Dudley from Petunia and held him up, beaming. "Well done, Dudley! You're the brightest boy there ever was, that's for certain." He hugged his son and then looked at Petunia. "What about the boy?"

"He did it as well." Petunia nodded as Harry came crawling backwards down the stairs, naked.

"Harry go pee-pee in potty, Aun Tuna!" Harry announced when he reached the bottom of the stairs, looking quite pleased with himself. Dudley had just managed to go a few minutes before his father had come home, but Petunia had left Harry upstairs on the potty when she'd heard Vernon's car hit the gravel of the drive way.

"Well, he can use the last of Dudley's nappies then. Dudley won't be needing them anymore."

"Well, he isn't out of them quite yet, Vernon. It'll take a bit before he can wear underwear. This is just the start."

"Well then… I suppose one more package of nappies, but then it's into underwear, understood son?"

"Okay, Daddy." Dudley nodded, not really knowing what underwear would mean for him. Petunia nodded and took Dudley back in her arms, knowing that there was no way he'd be in underwear after one more package of diapers.

"Dinner time." Petunia carried Dudley into the kitchen and placed him in his high chair that was pushed up against the table instead of having a tray now. Vernon took his seat at the head of the table and Petunia served them both before she left to put some clothes on Harry.

Harry, much to Lily's dismay, was still eating on the floor, only now he did it under the table where Dudley couldn't see him from his high chair. Newspaper was spread beneath him, like a dog, and he ate off of a plastic plate, helping his fork get the food into his mouth with his finger because his coordination skills weren't quite refined yet. He was only two after all.

"I can't believe she hasn't at least gotten him a booster seat yet." Lily griped, sitting down under the table across from Harry and looking at James who sat down behind him.

"I know, love, but at least he gets to eat. It could be worse."

"I know, I just… wish she'd treat him a bit better. Did you see how she ignored him earlier when he used the potty? Like it didn't even matter that he can do it so long as Dudley can. And Harry's the one who wanted to do it! Dudley didn't want to have any of it until Harry did." She rubbed at her eyes, angry tears spilling down her cheeks as she watched her son bit his tongue, maneuvering a tiny piece of cut up meat onto his fork and then, to his mouth.

"Have there been any… incidents… today?" Vernon asked halfway through a fairly quiet dinner, motioning his head downwards to indicate Harry.

"No, none at all. I think it may be working… the squashing." Petunia frowned, hoping she was right and that Harry was losing his magical ability due to lack of affection and getting less than Dudley. He hadn't shown any signs in the past couple of weeks, not that she had seen at least. She knew, from the note Dumbledore had left her, that children like Harry, with abnormal abilities, usually showed signs of them by the time they were six or seven years of age. Maybe if they could get past age seven without any more indication that Harry had magic, she could have two boys instead of just one and a half.

"Good. I don't need any more broken windows to replace when that money could be going into Dudders' education. Smeltings takes only the best you know."

"I know, Vernon."

_August 24, 1982_

"I'm afraid we just can't accept a child into the school who has not been fully toilet trained yet, Mrs. Dursley. However, he is only two, and he won't be behind the other children if he starts next year instead. These things sometimes take a bit more time, depending on the child in question. I know you probably want him to get a good head start, but he just does not have the qualities we look for in taking a child this young." Mr. Dupree, the headmaster of the local primary school stated, looking up from his papers at Petunia who was sitting in a chair across from him. Dudley, diapered, sat in the corner playing with toys, whilst Harry, wearing a pair of Dudley's unwanted big boy undies, sat a little ways away from him, playing with the only thing Dudley had allowed him to have: the cap off of Petunia's water bottle from earlier.

"Dudley is very special." Petunia shook her head, a rage building up inside her that this man should indicate that her son was average or worse, below average. She knew her Dudders was smart, she just knew it. "He's just… he hasn't quite gotten the hang of toileting yet, but he will soon. I know he will. He's making excellent progress."

"Aun Tuna?" Harry tugged at her dress, holding up the bottle cap like it was a prize of some sort. "Look." He set the cap on the floor and gave it a push. It spun and spun… not stopping. Mr. Dupree leaned over the desk to peer at Harry and the cap, a smile forming on his face. He sat back down and Petunia, knowing it was probably magic making the cap spin so long like that, placed her foot down on top of it to stop it. Harry frowned. What had she done that for?

"This little guy, though…" Mr. Dupree motioned to Harry. "Seems quite bright. Perhaps we could test him and see if he's what we'd like for the school?"

"What? Harry? Oh no, he's… younger than Dudley. I wasn't planning on sending him to school until he's at least four. He has… some emotional issues."

"Well, he seems to be quite normal to me." Mr. Dupree stated, coming out from behind the desk and smiling at Harry who grinned back a little bit shyly. "Hello there. I don't seem to hear a diaper on you, do I?"

"No diapers for Harry." Harry nodded. Dudley was still in diapers, but Harry wasn't. He had an accident every now and then, but normally he made it unless he was trapped in his cupboard. He was quite proud of his being able to use the potty like a good big boy. "Harry use potty."

"That's excellent."

"No. Absolutely not. Harry's not going to school yet. It's Dudley I'm here to enroll." Petunia shook her head, but Mr. Dupree sighed, moving back into his chair.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Durlsey, but Dudley just isn't up to the par we look for in a two year old. Bring him back before next school year and I'll be more than happy to give him an entrance exam. We only take the very best here you know. We have to… weed out the less fortunate. Dudley has a better chance next year."

"Well I never!" Petunia shook her head and gathered her purse. She scooped up Dudley in her arms and then grabbed up the child leash she had so that she could keep track of Harry as well and clipped it to the back of the harness he was currently strapped into. "We will not be back. I'll find a better, more professional school to take my son to. You just wait and see. He'll be great, famous even, and you won't be able to say he went here." With that, she march out, tugging Harry along after her.

Lily followed as well, glaring at the way her sister pulled Harry along like he was some sort of naughty pet. Harry tried to keep up, his legs short and still a bit uncoordinated due to age. He wasn't perfect at walking, and trying to keep up with his Aunt always made him tired and cranky.

"Petunia, I'm going to haunt you the rest of your life, you hear me? I'm going to follow you around and make your life hell!" Lily screamed at her sister as they went down the school's main hallway towards the lobby. Now that Harry could no long hear her, she had taken to berating her sister for treating him so poorly. "How dare you drag him around on a leash like some dog! There was a double stroller at that yard sale this morning, a perfectly lovely and clean stroller! And you bypassed it for a bloody tea set that Dudley broke half of the second you got in the door! And don't you say you didn't see the stroller! There's no way you didn't see it. It was right there."

"Lily, it doesn't do any good to yell at her." James sighed, reaching out a hand to take his wife's as they trailed down the sidewalk after Petunia and the boys now. "You know she can't hear us."

"It makes me feel better." Lily sighed. "I can't believe we were raised in the same household with the same exact parents. If I was in her position, I would treat Dudley with just as much love as Harry. They'd be like brothers, not raging war cousins where one always gets the upper hand and the other gets the shaft. And honestly, how is Dudley ever going to learn to be a good boy if she doesn't discipline him once in a while? It's ridiculous! He's going to end up in the Headmaster's off more often than not at the rate he's going. He can scream and cry and hit her all he wants and doesn't get in trouble, but if Harry so much as makes a face at his dinner, he gets a time out."

"I know love." James nodded, hugging her to him, knowing just how upset she was. He was just as angry at the idea of it, but knew he needed to keep a cool head for Lily's sake. "We can't delegate how she raises Dudley. And no matter what we say, we can't make her treat Harry better. I wish there was a way we could contact them, but there isn't."

"What if we attempt writing Petunia a letter again?"

"We could try it, but remember, you got weak just trying to make the pen move last time. It took a week for us to have enough energy to get travel back here to the Living world."

Lily sighed, knowing he was right. Any time they tried to move or touch something physically, they were zapped of all energy and transferred back to heaven where they were required to rest until they could come back down and watch over Harry. It took next to no energy to be here on earth, just floating along and observing.

James had already been sent back to heaven twice. Once when trying to help Lily write the letter, and another when he had found out his best friend had been wrongfully sent to Azkaban. Outraged, James had tracked Peter, that traitor rat, down and tried to strangle him. He'd managed a few moments of squashing the air out of the rat, but then he'd run completely out of energy. Fuming, he'd spent days trying to figure out what would take the least amount of energy to kill that bastard. However, he had not come up with anything that could technically be considered an accident, knowing that Peter would changed back into human form once he was dead. It was just the way the magic of an animagus worked.

Displeased that either of them could do anything for their son, Lily and James continued after Petunia and the boys, floating along quickly in order to keep up. It absolutely broke Lily's heart every time she saw her son and could not bend down and hold him in her arms. She and James spent every night in that cupboard with him, just watching him sleep and whispering sweet words of comfort into each of his ears. They would tell him stories while he slept, and sing to him, and sometimes, though they knew he could not hear them when he was awake, sometimes it seemed as if he could hear them as he slept. The mind was always more perceptible to those of the other world when they were asleep. James had even gotten a few choice words into Vernon's ear once and the man had woken up in a cold sweat, convinced someone was going to try and murder him. This had pleased both James and Lily immensely. It also explained why Harry slept so peacefully, not just that he was a child, but that his parents were there, keeping away his nightmares the best they could.

* * *

><p>Yay! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I found it particulary fun to write. Please let me know what you thought, it always pleases me, good or bad.<p>

Love always,

S.Q.O.


	4. October 13, 1986

**Sweet Child of Mine**

_13 October, 1986_

"Mum! Look what I made." Dudley announced as he ran to the door of the classroom where his mother had come to pick him up. At age six, Dudley Dursley had doubled in height and tripled in width. His body wobbled as he walked, holding up his drawing. He and Harry were both in grade one at the local primary school, forced into the same class due to there only being one grade one teacher. Next year though, Petunia was going to get them separated. The classes were smaller for grade two.

"Oh Duddy, this is lovely!" Petunia smile, looking at Dudley's family portrait, a picture containing one round person with dark hair, one short round person with blond hair, and one stick figure with blonde hair and a dress. There was absolutely no sign of the other little boy who lived in their house in Dudley's picture. In fact, if Petunia didn't pick up both of the boys every day, the teachers wouldn't have known until parent-teacher conferences that the two boys were related at all. "This is going right on the refrigerator when we get home, popkin."

Dudley beamed with absolutely pride at this, his blue eyes shining, cheeks pink with delight. "Can I get an ice cream on the way home too?"

"Of course, my darling. You're such a good boy." Petunia doted, patting Dudley fondly on the head. "Let's get your jacket and bag." She helped Dudley roll up his picture and put it in his knapsack before holding out his jacket for him. He put one arm in and then the other before turning around and letting his mother zip it up for him. "Harry!" She called across the room to where Harry was delaying, still coloring in his picture.

Harry had actually had a nice time at school today. He didn't particularly want to go home yet… Petunia always came a few minutes earlier than the bell so that she didn't have to deal with the rush of trying to get Dudley ready among a bunch of other mothers. She always went to the PTA meetings though, getting to know the other parents and setting up play dates with the proper people of Little Whinging. Dudley was already friends with a little boy named Piers Polkiss whom Petunia and Vernon approved of. Piers came from a lovely, normal family over on Magnolia Crescent. "Harry! It's time to go."

Harry sighed and looked down at his picture. He had drawn it the best he could, not really knowing what his mother and father looked like. He'd had to close his eyes and think for quite some time before deciding to give his mother red hair and make his daddy look like a taller version of himself. After a few more minutes he'd given his mother green eyes, whilst his dad's eyes were still undrawn.

"It's absolutely lovely darling. Daddy's eyes are hazel." Lily said from behind him, leaning down and concentrating really hard on the brown crayon beside Harry. It rolled just a tiny bit and Harry grabbed it up, marking his father's eyes with brown. There. That was much better. Lily sighed, closing her eyes. Even little things like that drained her, but she hadn't been able to stand watching Harry struggle. How unfair it was that her son shouldn't know the color of his own father's eyes?

She watched Harry seem to ponder for another moment before he took up the red crayon and drew a tiny lighting scar on his drawn version of himself and then smile, giving himself glasses.

"Harry, I said it's time to go now." Petunia stated, irritated. She reached down and took the crayon from Harry, blinking when she saw his picture. He had gotten his parents spot on… but that was impossible. He'd only been a baby when they'd died, and she'd never shown him a photo or anything of the sort.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry rose from his seat, rolling up his picture and carrying it over to the door where his own bag sat, Dudley's old baby bag. He put his picture carefully into the blue, teddy bear covered bag, and donned his jacket. He fumbled with the zipper for a moment, biting his tongue and finally getting it while Petunia tapped her foot. He picked up his bag and off they went.

"What kind of ice cream would you like, Diddykins?" Petunia asked, holding onto her son's hand while Harry trailed along behind them, his feet dragging slightly. At the mention of ice cream, he perked up ever so slightly, but then his face fell again. He had learned a few years ago that when Dudley got something, it wasn't always likely that Harry would receive a treat as well, and he had long since stopped asking if he was going to get a treat too. His aunt and uncle had made it very clear that he was not to ask for things very often, and he most definitely was not allowed to ask questions, especially if it was something that involved his parents.

"I want a knickerbocker glory." Dudley stated simply, smacking his lips at the very idea. He knew that that kind of ice cream was the type you had to sit down to eat, and he always enjoyed having a treat when Harry did not. It was something that made Lily and James rage inside, but there wasn't much they could do about it.

"Alright, popkin." Petunia smiled and they crossed the street, Harry running to keep up now. Petunia had stopped holding his hand to cross when he'd hit age four, saying he was old enough to look out for cars.

They entered the diner, Harry trudging along behind them and sitting down in the booth across from Petunia and Dudley dejectedly. He set his bag down and rested his head up against the window, watching the way the cars went by outside. It was a busy town.

"Hello! And what can I get you today?" The waitress asked as she came by, smiling and holding her tiny note pad in one hand.

"I want a knickerbocker glory!" Dudley announced, leaning over his mother, beaming up at the waitress as though he were a little fat cherub.

"Alright, sweetheart. One knickerbocker glory! And what can I get for you, hunny?" The waitress asked, smiling down at Harry who blinked, looking up in shock.

"I…" Harry faltered, glancing at Aunt Petunia who sighed.

"He's shy and he isn't feeling well today." She pondered for a moment, gazing over the menu for a moment. "How about a small ginger ale? Would you like that, Harry? Something to calm your stomach."

"Yes." Harry nodded, shocked that she'd ordered him anything at all. Normally when Dudley wanted ice cream they would stop at a stand that sold it out of a window and Harry wouldn't get anything. But here, in the diner, it would look bad if Petunia hadn't ordered him anything. So she'd made up a lie. Harry didn't feel ill at all. But then, a ginger ale sounded ok, even if it wasn't a knickerbocker glory.

"Aww, poor little guy. Alright then." The waitress smiled. "And what will you have, ma'am?"

"Just a small coffee please. With cream."

"Sure thing! I'll have your drinks and ice cream out in a moment. Here, you boys can have these while you wait. And you can take them home with you as well." The waitress set down a couple of paper placemats with pictures and connect the dot and crossword activities and then two packs of crayons. Harry's eyes went wide and he opened his crayons, excited. A box of his very own! He was going to keep them safe in his cupboard, hidden away from Dudley with the few toys he had in there. And now he could finish his picture properly. Maybe if he could get some tape, he could put it up on his wall. For now though, he used his crayons to color at the picture the lady had given him.

"Alright, here we go." The waitress returned, setting things down. "One knickerbocker glory for this little man. A ginger ale for the other one. And a coffee for the madam. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No thank you. This is fine." Petunia stated politely and the waitress left. Harry stared at the slightly yellow tinged bubbling liquid in his glass, complete with a plastic straw. He sipped at it and giggled, enjoying the way the bubbles felt going into his mouth. Lily smiled, seated beside him, glad that he at least liked what he'd gotten, even if it wasn't as nice and elaborate as Dudley's. That boy was digging into his ice cream with relish, scooping it up and shoving spoonfuls into his mouth, getting sticky and messy in the process.

Harry, noting that Dudley would probably be able to scarf down his ice cream quickly, decided to drink his ginger ale a bit faster. It was hard because it was icey and cold, but he knew that if he didn't, Dudley would want it as soon as the ice cream was gone. He sipped fast, his mouth exploding with bubbles, pain shooting into his head, but he was not about to let Dudley get the one treat he had ever had. At least, as far as he could remember.

Watching her son drink down his soda so quickly made Lily sigh with sadness. She knew exactly what fresh, icey soda could do to one's head. If the brain freeze wasn't enough, then the amount of bubbles doing down his throat would hurt at this rate. But she could understand why he was doing it. Dudley was already eyeing Harry's soda as he scooped up the last bits of ice cream in his tall dish. Harry's straw crackled with air, signaling the end of the glass.

"Mummy, how come Harry gets a soda and I don't?" Dudley asked after a moment, staring at the dregs of soda in Harry's glass.

"You can have a soda as well if you'd like, sweetie." Petunia said, sipping at her coffee. She raised her hand in the air so the waitress would come over.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Could I get another soda for my son? What kind did you want Duddy?"

"Root beer." Dudley announced, looking excited. He was getting two treats today. That was more than Harry was getting. It always made him happiest when Harry did not get as much as him.

"Alright, one root beer! And did you want any more coffee or ginger ale?"

"No, I think that'll be it, thank you." Petunia nodded and then patted Dudley on the head as he went at his root beer, grinning around his straw, eyes trained on Harry rather menacingly. Harry ignored him the best he could though, relishing the feeling of having a treat, but not quite enjoying it as much now that his stomach was starting to churn.

They left the diner, headed for home, Harry clutching his stomach. He hadn't felt well for most of the day and drinking his ginger ale too quickly had finally pushed him over the edge. Lily noticed. James noticed. Dudley noticed. Petunia, however, was much too caught up in Dudley to pay attention to the poor little boy following after her. Finally, when they were heading up the front walk of number four, Harry reached out and tugged at Petunia's sleeve.

"Aunt Petunia?"

"What is it, boy?" Petunia asked, turning her head around to look down at him. Harry's face was very pale, and were it wasn't pale, it was tinged green.

"I dun feel very…" Harry was unable to finish his sentence as the contents of his stomach spewed forth, getting all down the side of Petunia's jacket, dress, and left shoe. She let out a scream of horror.

"Harry Potter!" She groaned. "Just look at this mess. Go on, get in the house and out of those clothes." And she walloped him round the head, much to Lily's rage. "And then you'll come back out here and hose off the walk. Disgusting." She marched into the house and upstairs to change her clothes.

Harry, tears in his eyes, followed. He stopped at his cupboard and gathered a new shirt. His pants hadn't gotten hit. He changed in the cupboard, whipping his mouth clean on his soiled shirt and then carrying it into the small laundry room off of the kitchen where he then placed it into the sink. He turned on the water to rinse off the sick as he had seen Petunia do countless times when Dudley had over eaten to the point where he'd been sick. Once he'd gotten the puke off of it, he placed it on the hamper to be washed with the rest of the clothes.

Still feeling quite ill, the little boy went out front, got the hose, and sprayed the front walk, cleaning it off and then heading back inside where he went to lay down in his cupboard. His stomach rolled uneasily as he changed position, tugging the door shut and staring up at the ceiling, light filtering in through the cracks of the door and making the cupboard dim. He closed his eyes for a few minutes before reaching up and tugging the light string. It burst into life and he sat up, digging into his bag for his drawing. He pulled it out and unrolled it, admiring his handiwork.

"Where are you?" He asked staring sadly at his drawn portrait of his family, namely his parents. He was almost positive that they looked like the most perfect parents in the world, even if they were just crayon people.

"I'm right here baby." Lily choked out, leaned up against the wall by Harry's feet. James was dangling above, half of his body in the staircase, unable to find enough space in the cupboard for all three of them without going through Harry. It always pained them the most when they found their hands or feet floating straight through their son, just another reminder that they couldn't do anything to help him really. Neither of them could hold him, comfort away his belly ache or broken heart he had suffered since he was fifteen months old.

"We're always here, Harry." James added, reaching a hand down to place it near his son's head, wishing he could ruffle his hair and make him laugh or rub his stomach until it felt better. "We'll never, ever leave you, son."

"Forever. Until the day you grow old and die. And then we'll be waiting to meet you, my sweet one." Lily nodded, her hand caressing through Harry's socked foot, tears streaming down her face.

Harry sighed, getting his fill of the picture for the time being. He held it up against the bare wall beside the cushion of a mattress that had been placed into the cupboard when he was still very small. Besides that, he also had a rather flat pillow, and a blanket that was thin and old, but worked. The cupboard was small and retained his body heat in the winter better than a bedroom would have. And in the summer, well, there was a nice draft that ran under the door.

Aside from his meager bedding that Petunia had provided him with, Harry had a few other things that he had managed to rescue from Aunt Petunia before she'd thrown them away. It took persuading on his part, but if the toys were broken and long forgotten by Dudley then she usually gave in. The cupboard contained a couple of shelves created for holding cleaning supplies, but Petunia kept those locked beneath the kitchen sink now, having not wanted baby Harry to get into them and then be blamed for not paying enough attention to him.

He had received one of Dudley's old broken trains for his second Christmas, probably the best present he would ever get in this house. He kept it in a special place on the shelf, right above his pillow. It was probably in the best shape out of all of his toys, only missing one wheel. He also had a teddy bear that was missing an arm and both of it's eyes that he liked to sleep with sometimes, and a plastic dinosaur that looked as though someone had chewed on it beyond recognition, but Harry could still tell you that it was a brontosaurus. There were a few smaller trinkets on the second shelf where Harry normally stuck his school bag since there was more space there. A couple of bent up army men who had been stepped on, a small wooden puzzle with half of its original pieces, and some rocks he had gathered out of the backyard that he thought were quite nice. They sparkled or shone brightly than other rocks he had come across, so he liked them.

Thinking he would rather like to hang his picture up on his wall, Harry left his cupboard and wandered upstairs. Aunt Petunia would be working on making dinner by now and Dudley was in the living room watching the television. Harry was typically only allowed to go upstairs to use the bathroom, but today, he had decided that his picture was important enough to wander into his aunt and uncle's bedroom where Vernon's desk sat in one corner.

Harry was expressly forbidden from going into any of the bedrooms or Dudley's playroom, but today he was feeling rather rebellious. His stomach still hurt and he knew he should probably lay down some more, but he really wanted to get his picture on his wall. It would make him feel better.

So, sneaking his way into the grown ups' bedroom, Harry tiptoed across the carpet and over to the desk as quietly as he could. He opened one drawer and dug through it, looking for the tape he knew must be here. He had heard Aunt Petunia ask Dudley to retrieve it before on several occasions. So where was it? Maybe in the next drawer.

Harry scavenged through the second drawer in the desk, and success! He pulled out the roll of tape with a smile. He grabbed the scissors and cut a few pieces off, sticking them to his arm to hold onto them . He hurriedly put the tape and scissors away and then rushed back downstairs to his cupboard, glad he had not been caught.

Once his picture was up on the wall, Harry felt proud. He was glad to have a family portrait on his wall where he would always be able to see it so long as the light was on.

The door to the cupboard opened and Aunt Petunia appeared, holding a tray with crackers and a glass of water on it. She set it in front of Harry in the cupboard. "Here. This is your dinner. And then it's straight to bed, understood?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry nodded and waited while she closed the door again. He looked down at the crackers and water… that was what Dudley usually had to eat when he was sick. He ate what he could and downed the water before carrying the dishes back into the kitchen for his aunt to clean. He went back to his cupboard and put on his pajamas, climbing beneath his covers. It was still a big early for bed, but his stomach did still feel all queasy.

Rolling over on his mat, he stared up at his drawing, admiring his own handiwork and wondering if maybe someday someone would come and take him away from here. He dreamed about that a lot. He had lots of funny dreams that he couldn't explain, but then, they were just dreams after all. His favorites were just flashes of thing. A flying motorcycle, locks of deep red hair tickling his face, a pair of freckled arms that held him tightly, colored smoke mixed with a man's laughter, the glint of a pair of glasses, and his most absolute beloved dream… the softest, most wonderful of lullabies. It never had words to it, it was more like a murmur, but the voice that sang it was always calming and made him feel incredibly safe.

He had dreams that he hated as well though. Those were the ones that made him wake up in a cold sweat. Dreams with screaming, flashes of green light, and lots of crying that, usually, when he woke up, was coming from him. He wasn't sure what these were, but he supposed it was from the car accident he and his parents had been in when he was very small. At least, that's what Aunt Petunia said had happened to them, and it made perfect sense to Harry. People got into car accidents every day. He was sure there were other little boys out there in the world that had lost their parents to the same fate.

Sitting up, Harry got onto his knees and kissed his picture. First his mum, and then his dad, before he laid back down and stared up at the picture in the dim light of the cupboard. "I love you." He whispered.

Lily's heart broke as she reached down and ran a hand through his hair, unable to actually touch it, but able to go through the motion. "We love you too, sweetheart."

* * *

><p>This... took a bit. XD Anyway, I hope you liked it, I think it came out fairly well despite it lacking Lily and James a bit. Anyway, lemme know what you thought! I love hearing from you.<p>

Love and butterfly kisses,

S.Q.O.


End file.
